Cycle A Easter 7

6/1/2014 Confession(s)

 

Sunday Title:  Glory Sunday

Sermon Title: Ready…. Set…. g-g-go?  Glory

 

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  Listening Sunday

Sermon Title: Hearing and Listening

Sunday Title:  Spring Sunday

Sermon Title: “What are the Sure Signs”

Sunday Title:  Gift Sunday

Sermon Title: “Gift to the World”

Sunday Title:  Good-bye Sunday

Sermon Title: “Power to Witness”

 

Scripture Cuttings:

Acts 1:6-14 So when they had come together, they asked [Jesus], "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35 But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy. Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds.

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert.

John 17:1-11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

 

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

 

P:  Our God knows our weakness and hesitation.

Let us be honest with God. (pause)

  Heavenly Father...

C: we give you thanks always,

  for your saving grace

   but we are reluctant to receive your inspiring power

    when the Holy Spirit comes.

We say we are faithful followers of your ascended Son,

  yet we are left flat footed by an opportunity to witness.

We are anxious for you to restore your kingdom,

  still we do not devote ourselves to prayer.

Save us Lord from the sins we know in our hearts.

Save us Lord from the sins we hide.

  (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  Our God loves us through our hesitant faithfulness. God’s only son: Jesus Christ is sent for all. For his sake our sins are forgiven. The renewing power of the Holy Spirit is always promised to us, so that we may lead Godly lives of witness until the day of Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

 

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

-or-

 

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

 

P:  Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

         (humble reflection)

  Holy God...

C: we are often caught flat footed

gazing at your amazing works

  and ignoring your mission for us.

You have left us in the world

  and you protect us from the world

    still we court the wickedness of the world

  and stir up our own brand of misdeed.

We do not resist sin or remain steadfast in faith.

  Instead we prefer to alternate between the two.

Thereby we soil the gift of your witness,

  through us to the world.

We might see some of our sin, forgive us Lord

Surely we hide much, even from ourselves, save us Lord.

     (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  The only true God is restoring God’s kingdom through Jesus Christ. That the world might know God and Christ whom God sends. For Christ’s sake our sins are forgiven. We are given to him, and we know the truth that the world needs to know: that Christ is from God. Through the power of the coming Holy Spirit we are becoming witnesses to Christ, here and in all places, even to the ends of the earth. This to the Glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

 

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle A Easter 6

5/25/2014 Confession(s)

Sunday Title:  Greater - Still Sunday

Sermon Title: Believing to Love

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  Love Sunday

Sermon Title: Still with this Love thing.

Sunday Title:  Test Sunday

Sermon Title: “Cram for the Exam”

Sunday Title:  Religious Sunday

Sermon Title: “What is our Religion?”

Sunday Title:  Advocate? Sunday

Sermon Title: "Love or a deep appreciation"

Scripture Cuttings:

Acts 17:22-31 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way.

Psalm 66:8-20 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.

1 Peter 3:13-22 Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.

John 14:15-21 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.... They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  With the Spirit of truth let us faithfully return to our God. (pause)

  O God...

C: you give to us life and breath and all things,

  still we lay claim to these gifts as exclusively our own.

From you come the boundaries of our living place,

  yet we do not seek your expansive love.

You allot the time for our existence,

  and we pin our hopes for a heavenly future on you,

but we fail to live the present in faith.

Save us Lord from the sins we know in our hearts.

Save us Lord from the sins we hide.

    (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  Our God is a righteous God. Still with mercy God sends Jesus the Christ to us the unrighteous. Christ suffered for our sins, once for all. For this Christ was put to death but is raised. Just the same our relationship with God is made alive, and for Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. With the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, we may turn from our sins with a good conscience and live in the love of God. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

-or-

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us seek our right relationship with God. (seek in reflection)

  Merciful Lord...

C: you have made our hearts open and hungry for you,

so we search for meaning in our lives

  but don’t look to you for meaning.

You have given us your church and your word,

    as well as your Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But we squander your gifts.

  We put them away in hidden shrines,

    hoarding our knowledge of salvation in private pieties.

We try to limit your love to Sunday morning

  and other church events made for those most like us.

Now we think of ourselves as extremely religious

  as long as it does not involves suffering or sacrifice.

Forgive us the sins we are willing to know.

Save us from the sins we will not reveal.

     (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  The God who made heaven and earth and everything in it, longs to love us. God sent Jesus Christ to reveal himself to us. For the sake of God’s Son our sins are forgiven. If we know him and love him, we will keep his mandate of love. And we will know the Spirit of truth who abides in us to the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle A Easter 5

5/18/2014 Confession(s)

Sunday Title:  Greater Sunday

Sermon Title: “Before and After”

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  The Way Sunday

Sermon Title: If you are not on the path….

Sunday Title:  Prayer Sunday

Sermon Title: “Looking up”

Sunday Title:  Name Dropping Sunday

Sermon Title: “Who do you Know?”

Sunday Title:  Courage of Faith

Sermon Title: “The way, the truth and the life”

Scripture Cuttings:

Acts 7:55-60 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

1 Peter 2:2-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

John 14:1-14 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Lord you look for truth deep within us. (pause to contemplate our depth)

  We confess...

C: our courage fails when you ask us to be a holy nation.

We are unwilling to do inconvenient tasks,

  except for our own benefit.

Because of our lethargy and bad habits

  we deny your will be done.

Save us Lord from the sins we know in our hearts.

Save us Lord from the sins we hide.

    (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  Our Heavenly Father desires to show us mercy in our repentance and sends Christ Jesus the only Son of God to rescue us from our unfaithfulness. It is for Christ’s sake that our sins are forgiven. We are God’s own people and by the power of the Holy Spirit we may become again the living stones of God’s own spiritual house. This to the glory of  the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

-or-

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Lord, how can we take back what we have done? (pause for regretting)

  Merciful God...

C: only your righteousness delivers us

yet we will pretend to live clean lives,

  absent violence, rage and anger.

We stand aside when standing up is too risky.

  We look the other way instead of seeking your way.

Impressed we are with the loyalty of martyrs.

  Annoyed we are when daily life calls for a little devotion.

We can not even get past our own selves for prayer

  to ask for something in Jesus’ name.

Guilty we are, have mercy on us.

Ignorant we remain,

still, show us your saving grace.

    (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  God who makes us, also makes us worthy. Through Jesus Christ the Son of God, our sin are forgiven. We have been chosen because we know of God’s mercy, now we must choose to act as a royal priesthood, a holy nation to proclaim the one who calls us out of darkness into the marvelous light of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle A Easter 4

5/11/2014 Confession

Sunday Title:  Shepherd Sunday

Sermon Title: Welcome Back Pastor (Uncle) Erik Hart

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  Abundant Sunday

Sermon Title: Real life. Real abundance.

Sunday Title:  Fold Sunday

Sermon Title: “In the Fold”

Sunday Title:  Shepherd Sunday

Sermon Title: “Stolen from the Flock”

Sunday Title:  Eastern Conference Seminarians Sunday

Sermon Title: “one more time” “Within the Heart”

Scripture Cuttings:

Acts 2:42-47 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd

1 Peter 2:19-25 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

John 10:1-10 I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  We are the sheep, let us trust the Lord our Shepherd as we confess our unfaithfulness. (pause for trust building)  Dear Lord...

C: you long to gather us in,

  but we stray in other directions.

Our path is of greed, indulgence, and false conviction.

We laugh at what is wicked,

  pretending our maturity saves us from bad influence,

    and so we help the causes of many,

      who would steal and destroy your children.

We will not suffer the slightest trimming of our comfort,

  to walk in righteous paths for your name sake.

Forgive us when we recognize we are lost.

Save us when we are oblivious and aimless.

    (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want. Christ Jesus bore our sins in his very body, on the cross, so that becoming free from our sins, we might live for righteousness. Yes, our sins are forgiven. We have been healed and returned to the shepherd and the guardian of our souls. To the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

-or-

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us present ourselves to God as we are. (pause to remember who we are)

  I am like sheep who has gone astray...

C: I follow the voice of the stranger,

  even though you call me by name.

I fear evil in the shadow of things different,

  even though you are with me.

I am unwilling to endure

  for righteousness and faithfulness,

    when you have been so very good to me.

Forgive Lord the sins I know in my heart.

Save me Lord from the sins I hide. (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  Lord lead me beside still waters...

C: restore my soul.

P:  God is powerful and merciful, sending Christ Jesus: God’s own Son, to bear our sins in his body on the cross. God has freed us from our sins, healed our wounds, and returned us to the paths of righteousness. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!